Citroën C1 (05 on) - Review

There are two engines in the C1, a 1.0-litre petrol and a 1.4-litre diesel (only available if you choose a five-door). Performance from the petrol unit is surprisingly good as it's a peppy three-cylinder and there isn't much weight to pull, so it even copes out on the motorway without complaint. The 55bhp turbocharged diesel has a different character to the petrol. It’s easy to drive around town, with light controls and a reasonably responsive throttle. On the motorway it’s rather pedestrian – 0-60mph is achieved in 15.1 seconds and it has a top speed of 96mph. However, once up to speed, it will cruise at around 70mph with few problems. There's just the one gearbox, a five speed manual, whereas the 107 and Aygo are available with an auto box. We see little reason to buy the diesel, as the petrol unit gives better performance, will return 60mpg and is cheaper to buy and insure. In 2009 the 1.0-litre petrol engine was improved with lower emissions (now down to 106g/km of CO2) and increased economy - up to 63mpg.

The C1 is intended as a budget motoring solution rather than a sportscar, however it's still a fun little car to drive. It's entirely predictable in the way it behaves through corners and there's plenty of grip from the modest tyres so it can be whizzed about without feeling like it's doing something it's not intended for. There's even a stability control system which is a first for a small Citroën. The steering is a little numb feeling, but it's not something that will bother most buyers, while the gear change is positive.